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COSRX vs Kiehl's

Rated by Lovi · Unbiased, science-based skincare AI trained on real user outcomes · How the Fit score works

COSRX and Kiehl's are two celebrated skincare brands offering distinct approaches to daily care. The Korean label relies on hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and niacinamide within its serums, moisturizers, and cleansers to best serve acne-prone and oily skin, while the American house anchors its moisturizers, serums, and toners in glycerin and squalane to best suit mature skin and skin with dark spots. Through targeted formulations like the Advanced Snail Mucin Gel Cleanser and the Ultra Facial Toner, the former brand focuses on barrier function and hydration, whereas the latter emphasizes combating oxidative stress and supporting epidermal recovery.

COSRX is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2013 and owned by Amorepacific Group since 2024.

koreajoongangdaily.combeautymatter.comprnewswire.com

Kiehl's is an American skincare brand founded in 1851 and owned by L'Oréal S.A. since 2000.

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

This page compares some of the most popular COSRX and Kiehl's products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular COSRX vs Kiehl's products

People Say

COSRXKiehl's
  • Glow and skin texture improvement Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “woke up with soft, supple skin — COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream”
    • “gives me that glass skin look — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
    • “woke up glowing — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
  • Lightweight and fast-absorbing Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “absorbs instantly like water — COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum”
    • “sinks in immediately — COSRX Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream”
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “absorbs instantly without residue — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
  • Gentle and non-stripping formula Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “No stinging or irritation — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “doesn't strip my skin — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
    • “no stinging — COSRX Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream”
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
  • Deep hydration and moisturization Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Keeps skin moisturized for 24+ hours — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Feels like a drink of water — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
    • “savior for dry patches — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “skin drinks it up — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
  • Effective acne and pore control Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “helped to improve my acne after only 2 weeks — COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser”
    • “cleared up my spots — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
    • “Melted blackheads right off — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “sucked the gunk out of my pores — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
  • High price and poor value Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “expensive for me — COSRX The Hyaluronic Acid 3 Serum”
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Allergic reactions and skin irritation Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “stings really bad if it accidentally gets in the eyes — COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser”
    • “burns eyes when sweating — COSRX Ultra-Light Invisible Sunscreen”
    • “burned my face immediately — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “stings my face and feels like burning — Kiehl's Super Multi-Corrective Cream”
  • Dryness or insufficient moisture Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “skin felt tight after an hour — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “some extremely dry skin types need a thicker balm or oil on top — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “left my face tight — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
  • No visible or slow results Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Takes a month to work — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “didn't do anything — COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner”
    • “Did absolutely nothing — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Takes months to see — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”

COSRX vs Kiehl's routines for dry skin

Buy COSRX routine · £52.48 · 89% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · £181.95 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

COSRX vs Kiehl's routines for oily skin

Buy COSRX routine · £143.60 · 90% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · £283.08 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

COSRX vs Kiehl's routines for combination skin

Buy COSRX routine · £119.44 · 88% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · £285.07 · 84% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

COSRX or Kiehl's: which is better?

COSRX is better for oily and acne-prone skin, where Lovi fit levels are Superior compared to Kiehl's High level. Both brands provide High fit levels for dry, combination, sensitive, mature, and dark spot skin types on the products on this page.

What is the difference between COSRX and Kiehl's?

COSRX offers superior fit levels for oily, sensitive, and acne-prone skin, while Kiehl's is often chosen for deep hydration and targeting dark spots. COSRX provides a more gentle formula for sensitive skin, whereas Kiehl's features a higher price point and a heavier texture in some products.

COSRX or Kiehl's for dry skin?

Both COSRX and Kiehl's fit dry skin well, offering High routine fit levels on this page. COSRX features snail mucin and hyaluronic acid that help maintain moisture, while Kiehl's utilizes hydrating ingredients like glycerin and squalane to provide deep hydration.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015Drug Delivery, 2017

COSRX or Kiehl's: which cleanser is better?

COSRX is better for acne and pore control, while Kiehl's excels in deep hydration and moisturization. Both brands offer effective cleansing options, but COSRX is noted for being more gentle and non-stripping.

Which is more affordable, COSRX or Kiehl's?

Kiehl's has a high price point compared to COSRX, which is often mentioned by reviewers.

COSRX or Kiehl's: which brand is better for reducing dark spots?

Both COSRX and Kiehl's are a good choice for reducing dark spots, with Lovi fit levels reaching High for both brands on this skin concern. Niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and suppresses melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

COSRX or Kiehl's: which brand is better for mature skin?

Both COSRX and Kiehl's are good for mature skin, as Lovi rates their routines as High for this skin type. COSRX relies on key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and niacinamide, which help improve skin hydration and reduce signs of aging.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015Antioxidants, 2021

COSRX or Kiehl's: which brand has more fragrance-free products?

COSRX has more fragrance-free products on the products on this page, with 37 out of 38 listing no fragrance compared to 26 out of 28 for Kiehl's.

COSRX or Kiehl's for oily skin?

COSRX is better for oily skin, as Lovi rates COSRX as Superior for oily skin while Kiehl's is rated High. Reviewers note that COSRX provides effective acne and pore control, and niacinamide in products like The Niacinamide 15 Serum helps regulate oil production.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

COSRX or Kiehl's: which moisturizer is better?

When it comes to moisturizers, COSRX is better for oily and acne-prone skin with a Superior fit level, while Kiehl's is better suited for providing deep hydration and moisturization.

COSRX or Kiehl's for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, COSRX is superior, whereas Kiehl's has a high routine fit level. COSRX provides a more gentle and non-stripping formula.

COSRX or Kiehl's: which sunscreen is better?

COSRX is better for sunscreen because Lovi rates its sunscreen fit higher for sensitive skin than Kiehl's. For acne-prone skin, COSRX offers a Superior fit sunscreen while Kiehl's offers a High fit.

COSRX or Kiehl's for acne-prone skin?

COSRX is the better choice for acne-prone skin, as Lovi rates its routine fit as Superior compared to High for Kiehl's. The products on this page help provide effective acne control and clearing.

Research behind their key ingredients

Behind this comparison

Lovi compares products by their fit scores, calculated from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.

  • Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Co-founder, Medical Director

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer

  • Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Co-founder, CEO and CTO

    PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex

  • Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Medical Board

    Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine

  • Aishani Shah, MD

    Aishani Shah, MD

    Medical Board

    Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD

  • Asya Zubkova, MS

    Asya Zubkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member

  • Hanna Kurets, MD

    Hanna Kurets, MD

    Medical Board, Medical Advisor

    Dermatology MD

  • Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Medical Board

    Dermatology and diagnostic consultant

  • Victoria Derkova, MS

    Victoria Derkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist

How does it fit your skin?

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